A police sub-inspector and a most wanted gangster were killed in a shootout near the government medical college (GMC) hospital at Kathua in the Jammu division, police said on Wednesday.
Special police officer Anil Kumar and an associate of the killed gangster were injured during exchange of fire.
The probationary sub-inspector, Deepak Sharma, suffered head injuries during the encounter and succumbed this morning at a hospital in Pathankot.
This was perhaps one such shootout between the police and gangsters for the first time in the past several years in Jammu and Kashmir.
Police said that acting on a tip-off, a team of police chased the gangsters, including Vasudev, a key accused in a murder case registered at Ramgarh police station, which led to an encounter near the GMC on the Jammu-Pathankot highway at about 10.35 pm on Tuesday.
Vasudev was killed on the spot, while his associate was injured. The 32-year old sub-inspector Deepak Sharma was injured on the head. The injured cops were first treated in the GMC Kathua and then shifted to the Amandeep Hospital at Pathankot (Punjab) where Deepak Sharma succumbed during treatment this morning.
Martyr Deepak Sharma was a resident of Sangoor, near the Udhampur railway station.
Wreath laying ceremony of the martyred official was held at the Samba district police lines where top police officers paid tributes.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said Sharma made a supreme sacrifice while valiantly fighting & neutralising a most wanted gangster in Kathua. ”His supreme sacrifice will remain etched in our hearts. Every drop of blood of our martyr will be avenged and we are committed to creating a fear-free J&K,” he said.